Creature Features

Provide students with the experience of studying animal facial features. Read the class several stories about animals. During each read, have students investigate the illustrations and pay close attention to animal facial features. Have students articulate what they are observing and share any background experiences with animals.

Organize students into small group. If possible, have an adult available to supervise each group.

Talk with student groups about various facial features of animals. Where are the animals' eyes? Noses? Do they have hair? Tusks?

Ask students to select animals that appeal to them. Students draw sketches of their animals. Discuss the parts that they included in their pictures, such as eyes, eyebrows, noses, hair, etc.

Ask students to create parts of their animal faces. For example, students use Crayola® Crayons or markers to draw several different types of animal noses. Repeat this activity using white construction paper. Encourage students to draw each feature far enough apart so that they can gently tear them apart. Make piles of each feature type.

Using their original feature pieces, challenge students to create original animal faces. As students select features, have them glue the pieces to a piece of white construction paper where students have outlined their animals' faces. Allow to dry overnight.

Have students present their original animal faces to classmates. What type of animal is it? Where does it live? What type of habitat, or home, does the animal like to live in? Discussion to follow.

LA: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade level topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

SCI: Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.

VA: Use visual structures of art to communicate ideas.

VA: Select and use subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning.

Possible classroom resources include: A to Z of Silly Animals - The Best Selling Illustrated Children's Book for All Ages by Sprogling by Sprogling Children's Books; Goodnight Farm Animals by Sharlene Alexander; My Big Animal Book (My Big Board Books) by Roger Priddy; Dear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap Book by Rod Campbell.

Small groups of students collaborate to compose a short story with each of their original animals as characters in the story. An adult can document their ideas on easel paper. Students should be prepared to "read" their story to classmates.